#lafire: Hundreds of thousands of Californians flee as #Wildfire spreads

Hundreds of thousands of Californians have fled their homes since wildfires broke out Monday and fanned across the region toward Los Angeles.

Multiple aggressive blazes have popped up around Los Angeles. The closest is the 475-acre wildfire called the Skirball fire, about 17 miles outside the city. The wildfire broke out Wednesday morning and quickly torched several multimillion-dollar mansions in Bel-Air and forced Interstate 405 to shut down as Californians watched the surrounding canyon burn.

The blaze is fueled by 60 mph winds, making containment particularly challenging for first responders. An “array of uncertainties” about where the Skirball fire could spread caused classes to be canceled Thursday at the University of California, Los Angeles. The school said students are not in danger, but it is offering face masks to those on campus to shied them from the smoke. UCLA is outside the mandatory evacuation zone.